tugged; tugging
1
: to pull or strain hard at
3
: to tow with a tugboat
tugger
noun
tugrik, tugriks
Synonyms
Examples of tug in a Sentence
Verb
I felt someone tugging on my sleeve.
She tugged the cord until the plug came out of the wall socket.
Noun
He felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.
gave the man in front a tug on his shirtsleeve as a sign that he was supposed to step aside
Recent Examples on the Web
Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
The Trump era has twisted and tugged at the county’s social fabric, so much so that the answers to basic questions about what is true and who can be trusted no longer appear certain.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024
John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024
Chen’s quiet resilience, alongside Wang’s emotional fervor, perfectly encapsulates the tug of war between parental expectations and adolescent rebellion.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
In 1846, scientists had observed irregularities in Uranus’ orbit, as if an invisible counterweight were tugging on the planet from the far side.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
The Trump era has twisted and tugged at the county’s social fabric, so much so that the answers to basic questions about what is true and who can be trusted no longer appear certain.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
That's because of the constant tug of gravity between the moon, Earth and sun.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024
Chen’s quiet resilience, alongside Wang’s emotional fervor, perfectly encapsulates the tug of war between parental expectations and adolescent rebellion.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug
Dictionary Entries Near tug
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tug. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share